14 DAY TRIAL // “Steve Jobs,” directed by Danny Boyle, opened in select theaters in the US last weekend and is now gearing for a wide release in theaters worldwide. For a movie as talked about as this one, and involving such major talent, opening figures have been very disappointing.
In fact, if we’re to believe industry analysts, it was a “flop” at the box office, barely registering with audiences. On the other hand, critics loved it, praising the performance of leading man Michael Fassbender, Boyle’s direction, and Aaron Sorkin’s script.
There’s also some Oscar buzz around the film, particularly around Fassbender’s performance, which might earn him a nod in the Best Actor category at the Oscars 2016.
However, if Universal Pictures is looking for someone to blame for the film’s underwhelming box office performance, they can look to Fassbender again, Variety writes.
Interest in the film dropped considerably with regular audiences the moment Fassbender was cast, after Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale dropped out of the race because of scheduling issues, the trade publication says.
Fassbender is widely loved by critics and his loyal fans, for the versatility and range he’s shown in roles like those in “Shame” and “12 Years a Slave,” but a movie star he is not. Not yet, at least.
It’s true, he also stars as Magneto in the successful “X-Men” reboot, but he’s not carrying those movies on his own: he’s part of a much larger cast of famous actors.
“Fassbender has yet to establish himself as a bankable actor,” Variety says. So when Universal cast him as Apple boss Steve Jobs, it made one the worst possible decisions from a commercial viewpoint.